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Orioles claim Canzler off waivers from Yankees

9/25/12: Russ Canzler provides the spark for the Indians' offense, going 3-for-4 with a home run and scoring twice

By Brittany Ghiroli

BALTIMORE -- The Orioles claimed infielder Russ Canzler off waivers from the Yankees on Tuesday afternoon and designated catcher Luis Martinez for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.

Canzler was designated for assignment by New York last week to clear a roster spot for Travis Hafner, and the expectation was that the Yanks would probably lose the 26-year-old, who was claimed by three other teams this winter, to another club.

The Blue Jays claimed Canzler on Dec. 21, the Indians claimed him on Jan. 2 and the Yankees claimed Canzler on Jan. 4. For the O's, Canzler will add more infield depth, specifically at first base and left field.

Canzler is a career .278/.347/.472 hitter in nine Minor League seasons with the Cubs, Rays and Tribe. He has hit .271/.304/.396 in 29 Major League games in 2011 (Tampa Bay) and 2012 (Cleveland). In 31 Major League plate appearances against left-handed pitching, Canzler has hit .400/.419/.667.

Martinez, 27, is a career .272/.362/.364 hitter in six Minor League seasons in the San Diego (2007-11) and Texas (2012) systems. In 2012, Martinez batted .270/.350/.386 in 65 games with Triple-A Round Rock and also appeared in 10 games for the Rangers, going 2-for-18. He was originally drafted by San Diego in the 12th round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft.

The Orioles still have three catchers on the 40-man roster in Matt Wieters, Taylor Teagarden and Luis Exposito.